Here's my list of my favortie TV shows of all time.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

Hi Guys,
I'd like to compliment everyone on their lists. I might not have listed some of them but they are all worthy. My list may not make some NY Times critics list of important series, but they make me feel good:

1) Andy Griffith Show
2) Dick Van Dyke Show
3) Route 66 (some of the best writing/acting in tv history)
4) Magnum PI
5) Rockford Files
6) WKRP
7) The Honeymooners
Black Adder
9) The Avengers - the 2 seasons with Mrs. Peel
10) Twilight Zone
11) Bonanza
12) Monty Python
13) I SPY
14) Bill Cosby Show(the late 1960's one that ran for 2 years with Bill as a gym teacher, 50 times better than his later much more famous series).
Plus my favorites as a kid:
Jonny Quest
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Bugs Bunny
3 Stooges
Gigantor
Superman
Wonderama
Soupy Sales Show
Sea Hunt
Bozo, Garfield Goose and Ray Rayner on WGN Chicago

It's been 10 years since I posted the above, but not once since then have I been able to watch "I Spy" despite it being a great series that could never be replicated because
no one could afford to film a series that one week was in Japan and the next Algeria or London.
I get you are supposed to separate the actor from the role but Cosby's crimes are so vile I can't watch anything he is in.
So I am amending my list:

1) Andy Griffith Show
2) Dick Van Dyke Show
3) Route 66 (some of the best writing/acting in tv history)
4) Magnum PI
5) Rockford Files
6) WKRP
7) The Honeymooners
Black Adder
9) The Avengers - the 2 seasons with Mrs. Peel
10) Twilight Zone
11) Bonanza
12) Cheers
13) Star Trek
14) Blue Heelers
15) The Saint
16) Doc Martin
17) The Prisoner
18) Perry Mason
19) Newhart
20) All in the Family

Did I SPY really film on location? I'm sure many episodes were but I doubt every episode was. I'm sure many episodes had establishing shots of some faraway locale but the rest was probably filmed locally. Can't imagine they'd be shooting in Athens one week and then in Tokyo the next. These weren't exactly James Bond movies. Cosby or not, I was never a huge fan of the series though it wasn't a bad show. Certainly more believable and grounded than something like Man from U.N.C.L.E. Actually my favorite episode has always been "It's All Done with Mirrors" with Carroll O'Connor as a brainwashing expert working for the Russkies. He brainwashes Culp to shoot Cosby. Pretty tense episode. The others don't really stand out too much in my memory.

Hey, no Hawaii Five-O on that list??? Blasphemy!!! Should be right at the top at #1. Book 'em Danno!

I Spy was a groundbreaking show in its use of location shooting, and it was expensive and complex to plan, but they did it. Writers were encouraged to include lots of local landmarks in their stories. A lot was done in European cities, but also Mexico and Hong Kong among others.

I got to see much of the series many years ago on a cable channel I don’t recall and have never seen it since. I didn’t see every episode, but I remember being impressed when I realized they were actually filming on location. It’s very well done and if a higher quality than contemporaneous shows like Mission Impossible and The Man from UNCLE shot mostly on studio backlots.

I also recall that there were times when several episodes were in a particular region. The Greek Isles comes to mind and also in and around Mexico. Sometimes the location wasn’t too far from Hollywood. I remember one in Palm Springs and at least a couple in San Francisco. So they weren’t exactly going from Tokyo one week, to Paris the next, and then to Mexico City, but they were filming on location.

Also, an hour long drama back then didn’t film an episode per week. It generally took seven plus production days per episode. That’s why filming usually started about two months before the new season premiered, to have several already in the can. This is no longer true for most series today with shorter seasons and often film-like production values, but it was then and in the 80’s with MPI.

Ivan, Pahonu,
Doh! How I could leave Hawaii Five-O off my list.I have no excuse, though I am recovering from surgery and am on oxy, but still. It's in my top 5 for sure.
Pahonu, excellent response to Ivan concerning I Spy's positives and the fact it was filmed on location. It did use studios as well, why rent space in London for interiors when you
can do it cheaper in Hollywood later on.
The original pilot was subpar and would not have passed muster with the suits so over the weekend Culp wrote a new one that was excellent. The suits were pleased but producer Sheldon
Leonard's ego was bruised. It didn't help that Culp constantly fought for higher standards, and that he was almost always right.
The whole business of the hip, stylish patter with him and Cosby was his idea, and he penned them, though everyone assumed it was Cosby.
His intellect was far above average, the 6 scripts he wrote were the series's best episodes and if he had chosen screen writing over acting he would have been even more successful doing that.
Note how his guest shots on Columbo etc (Bonanza)were always top notch, that's because he would rewrite his lines and tactfully make script suggestions that again were invariably spot on.
He spent time after work schooling the raw Cosby in acting, Cosby always credited Culp for him winning an Emmy and getting most of the acclaim and not resenting Cosby overshadowing
him in the media coverage. Culp just wanted to make sure it was a good show, his efforts raised "Scotty" from more of a sidekick to partner, don't forget it was envisioned as "I" spy, not "we" spy.
Great title song as well, I have the soundtrack somewhere.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Hi Guys,
I'd like to compliment everyone on their lists. I might not have listed some of them but they are all worthy. My list may not make some NY Times critics list of important series, but they make me feel good:

1) Andy Griffith Show
2) Dick Van Dyke Show
3) Route 66 (some of the best writing/acting in tv history)
4) Magnum PI
5) Rockford Files
6) WKRP
7) The Honeymooners
Black Adder
9) The Avengers - the 2 seasons with Mrs. Peel
10) Twilight Zone
11) Bonanza
12) Monty Python
13) I SPY
14) Bill Cosby Show(the late 1960's one that ran for 2 years with Bill as a gym teacher, 50 times better than his later much more famous series).
Plus my favorites as a kid:
Jonny Quest
Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
Bugs Bunny
3 Stooges
Gigantor
Superman
Wonderama
Soupy Sales Show
Sea Hunt
Bozo, Garfield Goose and Ray Rayner on WGN Chicago

It's been 10 years since I posted the above, but not once since then have I been able to watch "I Spy" despite it being a great series that could never be replicated because
no one could afford to film a series that one week was in Japan and the next Algeria or London.
I get you are supposed to separate the actor from the role but Cosby's crimes are so vile I can't watch anything he is in.
So I am amending my list:

1) Andy Griffith Show
2) Dick Van Dyke Show
3) Route 66 (some of the best writing/acting in tv history)
4) Magnum PI
5) Rockford Files
6) WKRP
7) The Honeymooners
Black Adder
9) The Avengers - the 2 seasons with Mrs. Peel
10) Twilight Zone
11) Bonanza
12) Cheers
13) Star Trek
14) Blue Heelers
15) The Saint
16) Doc Martin
17) The Prisoner
18) Perry Mason
19) Newhart
20) All in the Family

Did I SPY really film on location? I'm sure many episodes were but I doubt every episode was. I'm sure many episodes had establishing shots of some faraway locale but the rest was probably filmed locally. Can't imagine they'd be shooting in Athens one week and then in Tokyo the next. These weren't exactly James Bond movies. Cosby or not, I was never a huge fan of the series though it wasn't a bad show. Certainly more believable and grounded than something like Man from U.N.C.L.E. Actually my favorite episode has always been "It's All Done with Mirrors" with Carroll O'Connor as a brainwashing expert working for the Russkies. He brainwashes Culp to shoot Cosby. Pretty tense episode. The others don't really stand out too much in my memory.

Hey, no Hawaii Five-O on that list??? Blasphemy!!! Should be right at the top at #1. Book 'em Danno!

I Spy was a groundbreaking show in its use of location shooting, and it was expensive and complex to plan, but they did it. Writers were encouraged to include lots of local landmarks in their stories. A lot was done in European cities, but also Mexico and Hong Kong among others.

I got to see much of the series many years ago on a cable channel I don’t recall and have never seen it since. I didn’t see every episode, but I remember being impressed when I realized they were actually filming on location. It’s very well done and if a higher quality than contemporaneous shows like Mission Impossible and The Man from UNCLE shot mostly on studio backlots.

I also recall that there were times when several episodes were in a particular region. The Greek Isles comes to mind and also in and around Mexico. Sometimes the location wasn’t too far from Hollywood. I remember one in Palm Springs and at least a couple in San Francisco. So they weren’t exactly going from Tokyo one week, to Paris the next, and then to Mexico City, but they were filming on location.

Also, an hour long drama back then didn’t film an episode per week. It generally took seven plus production days per episode. That’s why filming usually started about two months before the new season premiered, to have several already in the can. This is no longer true for most series today with shorter seasons and often film-like production values, but it was then and in the 80’s with MPI.

Ivan, Pahonu,
Doh! How I could leave Hawaii Five-O off my list.I have no excuse, though I am recovering from surgery and am on oxy, but still. It's in my top 5 for sure.
Pahonu, excellent response to Ivan concerning I Spy's positives and the fact it was filmed on location. It did use studios as well, why rent space in London for interiors when you
can do it cheaper in Hollywood later on.
The original pilot was subpar and would not have passed muster with the suits so over the weekend Culp wrote a new one that was excellent. The suits were pleased but producer Sheldon
Leonard's ego was bruised. It didn't help that Culp constantly fought for higher standards, and that he was almost always right.
The whole business of the hip, stylish patter with him and Cosby was his idea, and he penned them, though everyone assumed it was Cosby.
His intellect was far above average, the 6 scripts he wrote were the series's best episodes and if he had chosen screen writing over acting he would have been even more successful doing that.
Note how his guest shots on Columbo etc (Bonanza)were always top notch, that's because he would rewrite his lines and tactfully make script suggestions that again were invariably spot on.
He spent time after work schooling the raw Cosby in acting, Cosby always credited Culp for him winning an Emmy and getting most of the acclaim and not resenting Cosby overshadowing
him in the media coverage. Culp just wanted to make sure it was a good show, his efforts raised "Scotty" from more of a sidekick to partner, don't forget it was envisioned as "I" spy, not "we" spy.
Great title song as well, I have the soundtrack somewhere.

All is forgiven, Dobie. Because I was about to say - what's with some of these titles like Doc Martin and Blue Heelers (which I'd never even heard of) and no Five-O anywhere in sight? But you allayed my fears with your confirmation that it's in the top 5. That's more like it! But see if you can move it into your top 1. I'll have to come up with my list some time soon. Gotta think about that one a bit. So many great shows from our past.

Didn't Cosby win 3 Emmies in a row for each of its 3 seasons? As Best Actor in Drama Series? I can only remember that Barbara Bain did the same thing - 3 wins in a row for the 3 seasons that she was in on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. I can understand her 3 wins because at the time leading ladies in drama series were far and few in between. I think the only other 2 candidates were Barb Stanwyck on THE BIG VALLEY and Diana Rigg on THE AVENGERS. Plus Bain really did play a very beautiful and intelligent and strong character in the show so I have no complaints about her. But did Cosby really deserve those 3 wins? I can't really say that he steals the spotlight from Culp so I'm not sure what it is. I always thought they were on pretty equal footing as far as their acting abilities and humor went. And yet I don't think Culp was even nominated. Yet Cosby won 3 times in a row? Something doesn't feel right there. I get that he was the first black leading man on TV at the time (though second billed to Culp) but was he really that much better than Culp or even other leading men on television at the time? I'm sorry but Dan Blocker as Hoss and Michael Landon as Little Joe ran circles around him when it came to acting talents and especially humor! There were a lot of leading men in drama series at the time so I don't know how Cosby stole their thunder 3 times in a row.

[Luther's nephew Dobie]

It's been 10 years since I posted the above, but not once since then have I been able to watch "I Spy" despite it being a great series that could never be replicated because
no one could afford to film a series that one week was in Japan and the next Algeria or London.
I get you are supposed to separate the actor from the role but Cosby's crimes are so vile I can't watch anything he is in.
So I am amending my list:

1) Andy Griffith Show
2) Dick Van Dyke Show
3) Route 66 (some of the best writing/acting in tv history)
4) Magnum PI
5) Rockford Files
6) WKRP
7) The Honeymooners
Black Adder
9) The Avengers - the 2 seasons with Mrs. Peel
10) Twilight Zone
11) Bonanza
12) Cheers
13) Star Trek
14) Blue Heelers
15) The Saint
16) Doc Martin
17) The Prisoner
18) Perry Mason
19) Newhart
20) All in the Family

Did I SPY really film on location? I'm sure many episodes were but I doubt every episode was. I'm sure many episodes had establishing shots of some faraway locale but the rest was probably filmed locally. Can't imagine they'd be shooting in Athens one week and then in Tokyo the next. These weren't exactly James Bond movies. Cosby or not, I was never a huge fan of the series though it wasn't a bad show. Certainly more believable and grounded than something like Man from U.N.C.L.E. Actually my favorite episode has always been "It's All Done with Mirrors" with Carroll O'Connor as a brainwashing expert working for the Russkies. He brainwashes Culp to shoot Cosby. Pretty tense episode. The others don't really stand out too much in my memory.

Hey, no Hawaii Five-O on that list??? Blasphemy!!! Should be right at the top at #1. Book 'em Danno!

I Spy was a groundbreaking show in its use of location shooting, and it was expensive and complex to plan, but they did it. Writers were encouraged to include lots of local landmarks in their stories. A lot was done in European cities, but also Mexico and Hong Kong among others.

I got to see much of the series many years ago on a cable channel I don’t recall and have never seen it since. I didn’t see every episode, but I remember being impressed when I realized they were actually filming on location. It’s very well done and if a higher quality than contemporaneous shows like Mission Impossible and The Man from UNCLE shot mostly on studio backlots.

I also recall that there were times when several episodes were in a particular region. The Greek Isles comes to mind and also in and around Mexico. Sometimes the location wasn’t too far from Hollywood. I remember one in Palm Springs and at least a couple in San Francisco. So they weren’t exactly going from Tokyo one week, to Paris the next, and then to Mexico City, but they were filming on location.

Also, an hour long drama back then didn’t film an episode per week. It generally took seven plus production days per episode. That’s why filming usually started about two months before the new season premiered, to have several already in the can. This is no longer true for most series today with shorter seasons and often film-like production values, but it was then and in the 80’s with MPI.

Ivan, Pahonu,
Doh! How I could leave Hawaii Five-O off my list.I have no excuse, though I am recovering from surgery and am on oxy, but still. It's in my top 5 for sure.
Pahonu, excellent response to Ivan concerning I Spy's positives and the fact it was filmed on location. It did use studios as well, why rent space in London for interiors when you
can do it cheaper in Hollywood later on.
The original pilot was subpar and would not have passed muster with the suits so over the weekend Culp wrote a new one that was excellent. The suits were pleased but producer Sheldon
Leonard's ego was bruised. It didn't help that Culp constantly fought for higher standards, and that he was almost always right.
The whole business of the hip, stylish patter with him and Cosby was his idea, and he penned them, though everyone assumed it was Cosby.
His intellect was far above average, the 6 scripts he wrote were the series's best episodes and if he had chosen screen writing over acting he would have been even more successful doing that.
Note how his guest shots on Columbo etc (Bonanza)were always top notch, that's because he would rewrite his lines and tactfully make script suggestions that again were invariably spot on.
He spent time after work schooling the raw Cosby in acting, Cosby always credited Culp for him winning an Emmy and getting most of the acclaim and not resenting Cosby overshadowing
him in the media coverage. Culp just wanted to make sure it was a good show, his efforts raised "Scotty" from more of a sidekick to partner, don't forget it was envisioned as "I" spy, not "we" spy.
Great title song as well, I have the soundtrack somewhere.

All is forgiven, Dobie. Because I was about to say - what's with some of these titles like Doc Martin and Blue Heelers (which I'd never even heard of) and no Five-O anywhere in sight? But you allayed my fears with your confirmation that it's in the top 5. That's more like it! But see if you can move it into your top 1. I'll have to come up with my list some time soon. Gotta think about that one a bit. So many great shows from our past.

Didn't Cosby win 3 Emmies in a row for each of its 3 seasons? As Best Actor in Drama Series? I can only remember that Barbara Bain did the same thing - 3 wins in a row for the 3 seasons that she was in on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. I can understand her 3 wins because at the time leading ladies in drama series were far and few in between. I think the only other 2 candidates were Barb Stanwyck on THE BIG VALLEY and Diana Rigg on THE AVENGERS. Plus Bain really did play a very beautiful and intelligent and strong character in the show so I have no complaints about her. But did Cosby really deserve those 3 wins? I can't really say that he steals the spotlight from Culp so I'm not sure what it is. I always thought they were on pretty equal footing as far as their acting abilities and humor went. And yet I don't think Culp was even nominated. Yet Cosby won 3 times in a row? Something doesn't feel right there. I get that he was the first black leading man on TV at the time (though second billed to Culp) but was he really that much better than Culp or even other leading men on television at the time? I'm sorry but Dan Blocker as Hoss and Michael Landon as Little Joe ran circles around him when it came to acting talents and especially humor! There were a lot of leading men in drama series at the time so I don't know how Cosby stole their thunder 3 times in a row.

Ivan,
I look forward to seeing your list, please do one.
Cosby's wins were due in part to his very large footprint in the media and national impact. His comedy records were huge, my brothers brought them home from Rutgers, I remember his
bio from (for kids) Scholastic Books catalog as 3rd grader me bought a copy(I had to earn every penny so I recall that).
He was the first black co-star of a series that everyone who was 'with it' at the time watched. Culp did get screwed, but he understood what was happening and still tutored Cosby who
to his credit never ceased to praise Culp as an actor who was far better than him. Culp was also hurt by Sheldon Leonard's animosity - Culp almost always won when he and Leonard went
to the network over how to make the show better - and as a result Leonard constantly promoted Cosby in the media etc at Culp's expense, using all his considerable influence with
the Hollywood trade papers etc to promote Cosby as the driver of the show.
No doubt guilt at how black actors were previously treated helped Cosby win 3 times in a row, during the height of the Civil Rights battles.
There was still echos of the past persisting then, Cosby's stuntman was a white guy in blackface till he and Culp said they wouldn't work till a black stuntman was hired.
He was the first black stuntman in Hollywood history, the others resented him and during a fight scene they all started viciously hitting him for real.
Cosby and Culp( a real life hard ass) waded into the fight - all caught on camera for the episode - and some of the actual footage was used as the fighting was so realistic, which it was.
I got this info from a book about I Spy, the best book written about a series that I have ever read but I have it buried in a box in the basement and my leg injury precludes me from
fishing it out and thus recalling the title.
You asked about the series on my list titled "Blue Heelers"? I got bored of the cookie cutter cop dramas with the same old NY or LA scenery and as Australian TV is now recognized as
turning out first class fare, I started watching (at the behest of a Aussie pal) the 510 episode, set in Mt. Thomas, Victoria, Australia copper show Blue Heelers.
It's a solid series, and with so many episodes, as the characters change over the years they are like old friends, er, mates.

Actually "Water Rats" is superior, with a bigger budget, concerning the Sydney Harbour Water Police. Lots of action set around what is probably the most beautiful harbor in the world
and more likely to appeal to the average Seppo, er, American. Fun to see lots of Sydney as opposed to Toronto filling in for NYC in many cop shows here.
The Australian Television Information Archive is THE place to go for info on any Aussie TV show.

Australians grow up watching our shows, so they are quite familiar with our culture/cities/slang etc and if you watch Aussie TV you will learn a lot about them.

[ZelenskyTheValiant (Ivan)]

Did I SPY really film on location? I'm sure many episodes were but I doubt every episode was. I'm sure many episodes had establishing shots of some faraway locale but the rest was probably filmed locally. Can't imagine they'd be shooting in Athens one week and then in Tokyo the next. These weren't exactly James Bond movies. Cosby or not, I was never a huge fan of the series though it wasn't a bad show. Certainly more believable and grounded than something like Man from U.N.C.L.E. Actually my favorite episode has always been "It's All Done with Mirrors" with Carroll O'Connor as a brainwashing expert working for the Russkies. He brainwashes Culp to shoot Cosby. Pretty tense episode. The others don't really stand out too much in my memory.

Hey, no Hawaii Five-O on that list??? Blasphemy!!! Should be right at the top at #1. Book 'em Danno!

I Spy was a groundbreaking show in its use of location shooting, and it was expensive and complex to plan, but they did it. Writers were encouraged to include lots of local landmarks in their stories. A lot was done in European cities, but also Mexico and Hong Kong among others.

I got to see much of the series many years ago on a cable channel I don’t recall and have never seen it since. I didn’t see every episode, but I remember being impressed when I realized they were actually filming on location. It’s very well done and if a higher quality than contemporaneous shows like Mission Impossible and The Man from UNCLE shot mostly on studio backlots.

I also recall that there were times when several episodes were in a particular region. The Greek Isles comes to mind and also in and around Mexico. Sometimes the location wasn’t too far from Hollywood. I remember one in Palm Springs and at least a couple in San Francisco. So they weren’t exactly going from Tokyo one week, to Paris the next, and then to Mexico City, but they were filming on location.

Also, an hour long drama back then didn’t film an episode per week. It generally took seven plus production days per episode. That’s why filming usually started about two months before the new season premiered, to have several already in the can. This is no longer true for most series today with shorter seasons and often film-like production values, but it was then and in the 80’s with MPI.

Ivan, Pahonu,
Doh! How I could leave Hawaii Five-O off my list.I have no excuse, though I am recovering from surgery and am on oxy, but still. It's in my top 5 for sure.
Pahonu, excellent response to Ivan concerning I Spy's positives and the fact it was filmed on location. It did use studios as well, why rent space in London for interiors when you
can do it cheaper in Hollywood later on.
The original pilot was subpar and would not have passed muster with the suits so over the weekend Culp wrote a new one that was excellent. The suits were pleased but producer Sheldon
Leonard's ego was bruised. It didn't help that Culp constantly fought for higher standards, and that he was almost always right.
The whole business of the hip, stylish patter with him and Cosby was his idea, and he penned them, though everyone assumed it was Cosby.
His intellect was far above average, the 6 scripts he wrote were the series's best episodes and if he had chosen screen writing over acting he would have been even more successful doing that.
Note how his guest shots on Columbo etc (Bonanza)were always top notch, that's because he would rewrite his lines and tactfully make script suggestions that again were invariably spot on.
He spent time after work schooling the raw Cosby in acting, Cosby always credited Culp for him winning an Emmy and getting most of the acclaim and not resenting Cosby overshadowing
him in the media coverage. Culp just wanted to make sure it was a good show, his efforts raised "Scotty" from more of a sidekick to partner, don't forget it was envisioned as "I" spy, not "we" spy.
Great title song as well, I have the soundtrack somewhere.

All is forgiven, Dobie. Because I was about to say - what's with some of these titles like Doc Martin and Blue Heelers (which I'd never even heard of) and no Five-O anywhere in sight? But you allayed my fears with your confirmation that it's in the top 5. That's more like it! But see if you can move it into your top 1. I'll have to come up with my list some time soon. Gotta think about that one a bit. So many great shows from our past.

Didn't Cosby win 3 Emmies in a row for each of its 3 seasons? As Best Actor in Drama Series? I can only remember that Barbara Bain did the same thing - 3 wins in a row for the 3 seasons that she was in on MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. I can understand her 3 wins because at the time leading ladies in drama series were far and few in between. I think the only other 2 candidates were Barb Stanwyck on THE BIG VALLEY and Diana Rigg on THE AVENGERS. Plus Bain really did play a very beautiful and intelligent and strong character in the show so I have no complaints about her. But did Cosby really deserve those 3 wins? I can't really say that he steals the spotlight from Culp so I'm not sure what it is. I always thought they were on pretty equal footing as far as their acting abilities and humor went. And yet I don't think Culp was even nominated. Yet Cosby won 3 times in a row? Something doesn't feel right there. I get that he was the first black leading man on TV at the time (though second billed to Culp) but was he really that much better than Culp or even other leading men on television at the time? I'm sorry but Dan Blocker as Hoss and Michael Landon as Little Joe ran circles around him when it came to acting talents and especially humor! There were a lot of leading men in drama series at the time so I don't know how Cosby stole their thunder 3 times in a row.

Ivan,
I look forward to seeing your list, please do one.
Cosby's wins were due in part to his very large footprint in the media and national impact. His comedy records were huge, my brothers brought them home from Rutgers, I remember his
bio from (for kids) Scholastic Books catalog as 3rd grader me bought a copy(I had to earn every penny so I recall that).
He was the first black co-star of a series that everyone who was 'with it' at the time watched. Culp did get screwed, but he understood what was happening and still tutored Cosby who
to his credit never ceased to praise Culp as an actor who was far better than him. Culp was also hurt by Sheldon Leonard's animosity - Culp almost always won when he and Leonard went
to the network over how to make the show better - and as a result Leonard constantly promoted Cosby in the media etc at Culp's expense, using all his considerable influence with
the Hollywood trade papers etc to promote Cosby as the driver of the show.
No doubt guilt at how black actors were previously treated helped Cosby win 3 times in a row, during the height of the Civil Rights battles.
There was still echos of the past persisting then, Cosby's stuntman was a white guy in blackface till he and Culp said they wouldn't work till a black stuntman was hired.
He was the first black stuntman in Hollywood history, the others resented him and during a fight scene they all started viciously hitting him for real.
Cosby and Culp( a real life hard ass) waded into the fight - all caught on camera for the episode - and some of the actual footage was used as the fighting was so realistic, which it was.
I got this info from a book about I Spy, the best book written about a series that I have ever read but I have it buried in a box in the basement and my leg injury precludes me from
fishing it out and thus recalling the title.
You asked about the series on my list titled "Blue Heelers"? I got bored of the cookie cutter cop dramas with the same old NY or LA scenery and as Australian TV is now recognized as
turning out first class fare, I started watching (at the behest of a Aussie pal) the 510 episode, set in Mt. Thomas, Victoria, Australia copper show Blue Heelers.
It's a solid series, and with so many episodes, as the characters change over the years they are like old friends, er, mates.

Actually "Water Rats" is superior, with a bigger budget, concerning the Sydney Harbour Water Police. Lots of action set around what is probably the most beautiful harbor in the world
and more likely to appeal to the average Seppo, er, American. Fun to see lots of Sydney as opposed to Toronto filling in for NYC in many cop shows here.
The Australian Television Information Archive is THE place to go for info on any Aussie TV show.

Australians grow up watching our shows, so they are quite familiar with our culture/cities/slang etc and if you watch Aussie TV you will learn a lot about them.

Thanks for the info, Dobe. You are a treasure trove of facts and trivia. I actually didn't realize that Cosby was already a big name in the mid-60s. I thought I SPY made him. I thought he was a nobody when he joined the show. But if he already had clout and was the hottest new thing in town at the time then I guess that explains his 3 Emmy wins.

As for Aussie TV I know nothing about it. Might have to give it a whirl one of these days if things ever get slow for me. I still want to check out a few classic British shows like THE PRISONER (sounds too bizarre so I doubt I'd stick around with it) and especially THE SAINT since I'm a big Roger Moore (Bond) fan.